The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that counts the number of prints, and a storage medium.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus that includes an image-input unit, a laser-scanning unit, a printing unit, and a billing unit is known. The image-input unit is an optical scanner or the like that converts optical information to an electric signal. The laser-scanning unit generates a printing image according to an image signal that is delivered from the image-input unit. The printing unit executes printing according to the printing image that is delivered from the laser-scanning unit. The billing unit, based on a modulated signal that is delivered from the laser-scanning unit, or in other words, a “signal that expresses printing image information that is the basis for printing a printing image”, calculates a billing amount for printing by the printing unit.
A typical billing unit includes a modulated-signal classifier, a signal counter, a counter value/billing amount converter, a billing-fee calculator, and a billing-fee adder. The modulated-signal classifier classifies a modulated signal that is delivered from the laser-scanning unit into a white signal, a R (red) signal, a G (green) signal and a B (blue) signal. The signal counter measures the respective signal amounts for the white signal, R signal, G signal and B signal that are classified by the modulated-signal classifier, and functions as an analog/digital converter that digitizes each electric signal. The counter value/billing amount converter converts the respective signal amounts for the white signal, R signal, G signal and B signal that are digitized by the signal counter into billing amounts based on a conversion rate. This conversion rate may be set according to the amounts of the respective toners Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and K (black) that are consumed for the respective white signal, R signal, G signal and B signal. The billing-fee calculator totals the respective billing amounts for the white signal, R signal, G signal and B signal that are delivered from the counter value/billing amount converter. The billing-fee adder calculates the total billing fee by adding the respective billing amounts for the white signal, R signal, G signal and B signal that are totaled by the billing-fee calculator.